<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>some things lie too deep for tears to well by sleepybois_inc (the_ace_place)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29661873">some things lie too deep for tears to well</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_ace_place/pseuds/sleepybois_inc'>sleepybois_inc (the_ace_place)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>dark seeks dark [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Ao3 change the tags to not be their real names challenge, Demon Darryl Noveschosch, Diamond Golem Hybrid Skeppy, Dissociation, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, One Shot, Platonic Relationships, Platonic Zak Ahmed/Darryl Noveschosch, Team as Family, The Badlands, Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), obligatory "about the characters not the CCs" disclaimer, once again blatantly ignoring the eggpire... sorry if you like that arc lmao, skeppy-centric</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 22:47:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,505</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29661873</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_ace_place/pseuds/sleepybois_inc</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He immediately pushed the idea away. Because things had changed. He had Bad, now. </p><p>Bad, who refused to leave his side, even when Skeppy was screaming and crying and scratching at anything that got too close to him. Bad, who slept clutching one of Skeppy’s hands, because otherwise he would awake with a jolt, searching around for the person who had stolen his literal soulmate from him again. Bad, who told the most stupidly funny jokes, and admonished Skeppy for his language, and reminded Skeppy that he was real and that he wasn’t dying and that he wasn’t alone anymore. </p><p>Bad, who Skeppy loved and loved and would never let go of ever again. </p><p>(Sequel to "we can't lose touch (but we can let go).")</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>No Romantic Relationship(s), Ranboo &amp; Tubbo &amp; Tommy, Zak Ahmed &amp; Antfrost, Zak Ahmed &amp; Antfrost &amp; Darryl Noveschosch &amp; Sam | Awesamdude, Zak Ahmed &amp; Cara | CaptainPuffy, Zak Ahmed &amp; Darryl Noveschosch, Zak Ahmed &amp; Sam | Awesamdude, Zak Ahmed &amp; Technoblade, Zak Ahmed &amp; Toby Smith | Tubbo, Zak Ahmed &amp; TommyInnit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>dark seeks dark [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2175858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>308</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Completed stories I've read</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>some things lie too deep for tears to well</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>TW // dissociation, aftermath of kidnapping, panic attacks</p><p>Another disclaimer: I am not a doctor. The medical recovery / physical therapy portrayed in this may not be entirely accurate. Also, the dissociation scenes are entirely based on my own experiences, and I can in no way speak for others who dissociate. </p><p>Title is from "Ms" by alt-j.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>In theory, recovery is fundamentally <em> good</em>. It can be slow, and stressful, and taxing, but it would all be worth it in the end, right?</p><p> </p><p>In practice, recovery is… hard. </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy had been out of the basement for thirteen days. He’d also been bedridden for thirteen days. </p><p> </p><p>Bad barely left his bedside. He’d only leave if he was in desperate need of a shower, and if someone else would be there with Skeppy while he was gone. All other times, Ant would bring Bad food, and he would sleep in the rickety chair by the bed, as if Skeppy would vanish if he looked away for more than a second. Even though Dream was gone and locked away, Bad would jump at the slightest sound, fingers lengthening into claws and an uncontrollable hiss escaping his lips. When he decided there was no threat, he would collapse back into the chair with a sigh, exhaustion seeping into his limbs. </p><p> </p><p>They probably <em> both </em>had some recovering to do, if Skeppy was being honest with himself. </p><p> </p><p>The Dream SMP didn’t have a real doctor, or even a healer, so Puffy was the one overseeing Skeppy’s physical state. She was nice, and didn’t treat him as if he was fragile glass, which he appreciated. She told him bluntly that his muscles had atrophied so much that there was a chance he would never fully recuperate. Skeppy also couldn’t stomach solid foods after being semi-starved for so long-- he’d tried eating a baked potato as soon as they were home and immediately got sick-- so Puffy put him on a strict diet of protein smoothies infused with healing potions. </p><p> </p><p>(Regen pots would be better, Puffy had said. She didn’t argue when he vehemently declined.) </p><p> </p><p>He hadn’t tried to walk, yet. All he could really do was sleep, think, and drink his protein smoothies.</p><p> </p><p><em> Not much has changed since Then</em>, Skeppy had thought, but he immediately pushed the idea away. Because things <em> had </em>changed. He had Bad, now. </p><p> </p><p>Bad, who refused to leave his side, even when Skeppy was screaming and crying and scratching at anything that got too close to him. Bad, who slept clutching one of Skeppy’s hands, because otherwise he would awaken with a jolt, searching around for the person who had stolen his literal soulmate from him again. Bad, who told the most stupidly funny jokes, and admonished Skeppy for his language, and reminded Skeppy that he was <em> real </em> and that he wasn’t dying and that he wasn’t alone anymore. </p><p> </p><p>Bad, who Skeppy loved and loved and would never let go of ever again. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“I can’t breathe,” Skeppy sobbed. “I can’t breathe I can’t I <em> can’t--” </em></p><p> </p><p>“You’ve gotta try, Geppy,” Bad whispered. “You’ve gotta try for me.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>15 days after he got out, Puffy brought him a gift. </p><p> </p><p>She rolled it into the room, and Skeppy almost threw up the small amount of protein he had managed to choke down that morning. </p><p> </p><p>He didn’t want this. He didn’t want to be dependent on someone else for survival ever again. He didn’t want to be <em> vulnerable</em>.</p><p> </p><p>So when Puffy entered the room with a wheelchair, his subconscious decided that he really couldn’t deal with it, and he drifted away.</p><p> </p><p>Drifting was nice. </p><p> </p><p>Somewhere, he could hear Puffy talking to him, could see her waving her hand in front of his face, could even feel her touching his arm, trying to get him to respond. But when he was drifting, none of that really mattered. Because he was off in his own world, where nothing else could touch him, and he was <em> safe.  </em></p><p> </p><p>When he came back to his body, Puffy and the chair were gone. Bad was back from his quick shower, and was asleep by Skeppy’s bedside, their hands intertwined. </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy looked at Bad, and he squeezed the demon’s hand. </p><p> </p><p>Maybe he would be fine with the chair, if Bad was the one pushing it. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>17 days after he got out, Skeppy tried the wheelchair for the first time. </p><p> </p><p>It was a defeating experience, he decided. Somehow, even being immobile in bed felt better than <em> this</em>. </p><p> </p><p>“You okay, Geppy?” Bad whispered, hand resting on the chair’s handle. </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy forced a smile. “I’m fine, Bad,” he responded, deciding that the demon had enough of Skeppy’s trauma to deal with, even without piling wheelchair angst on top of it. “Just thinking about which hill around here would be the best to race down.”</p><p> </p><p>“You will do no such thing, you muffinhead!” </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy stuck out his tongue. “Ant would let me do it. He’s more fun than you.” </p><p> </p><p>Although Bad’s irises and pupils were completely white like his sclera, Skeppy could still sense him rolling his eyes. “I’m wounded,” he said, voice dripping in sarcasm. </p><p> </p><p>“Listen, if I’m gonna be stuck in this damn thing, I might as well make it fun.”</p><p> </p><p>“Language,” Bad admonished. “And I never said we couldn’t make it fun. I just don’t want you going down a hill yet.” </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy grinned widely, his mood beginning to improve marginally. “This is why you’re my favorite.” </p><p> </p><p>That afternoon, Skeppy left their house for the first time in 17 days. </p><p> </p><p>And if anyone noticed two of the members of the infamous Badlands racing down the Prime Path at breakneck speed, Skeppy howling in a healthy mix of terror and delight while Bad screamed at people to get out of their way, they minded their business. </p><p> </p><p>(No one had seen Bad that happy since Skeppy had disappeared, after all.) </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“You’re not real. None of this is real.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m real, Skeppy,” Bad pleaded. “I’m here.” </p><p> </p><p>“You’re <em> not! </em> You’re <em> not </em>real! This is all in my head and I’m going to wake up and you’re going to be gone and I’m gonna be alone again!” </p><p> </p><p>“You’re going to have to trust me, Skeppy. Can you do that? You told me you’d trust me, always. Remember?”</p><p> </p><p>“I<em> can’t</em>!” he howled. “I <em> can’t </em>trust you! You’re not real! You’re not real it’s not real I’m not real you’re not--” </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“It’s been a while, huh?” </p><p> </p><p>“It’s good to see you, Sam,” Skeppy said, smiling genuinely. “I’ve been stuck with Bad and Ant for so long that I’ve almost forgotten what common sense looks like.” </p><p> </p><p>“Sorry, man. I’ve been busy,” Sam responded, scratching the back of his neck, where scales met skin. “Being the Warden is hard. You know I’ve gotta be mean to everyone who comes through there? It’s exhausting.” </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy chuckled. “I bet. And it doesn’t help that the kid is there so often. It’s probably not easy being harsh to him after everything, eh?” </p><p> </p><p>“You have no idea. You know, he asked me to build something for him.”</p><p> </p><p>“Really? What is it?”</p><p> </p><p>Sam smiled fondly, visible under the gas mask that was pulled over his mouth. “Get this: a hotel. He wants to give everyone a neutral place to stay, in case anything happens. It’s a good idea, honestly.”</p><p> </p><p>“Sam.” </p><p> </p><p>“What?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re doing the thing again.” </p><p> </p><p>“What thing?”</p><p> </p><p>“You’re <em> dadding </em>him, you idiot.” </p><p> </p><p>“I am not!”</p><p> </p><p>Skeppy laughed. “You are too! It’s in your blood! Whenever you see a child in distress, you immediately rush to their aid! Next thing you know, you’ll be making up stories and doing funny voices for him!”</p><p> </p><p>Sam winced at that, dragging his hand down his face in exasperation. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh my God. You did not,” Skeppy said. “You did <em> not </em>pull out Sam Nook.”</p><p> </p><p>“Listen, he just looked so <em> sad</em>, right? And he loves Animal Crossing! And--”</p><p> </p><p>“Oh my God.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Skeppy did a lot of things, things he didn’t use to do before. </p><p> </p><p>He couldn’t sleep with the lights off. It was too dark. Sam gifted him a small redstone lamp that he kept in the corner of his room, and Skeppy looked to it for comfort when he didn’t want to wake up Bad. </p><p> </p><p>He used to sleep splayed out across his mattress. When he had sleepovers with Bad, they would wake up in the morning with Skeppy occupying ¾ of the bed, hogging all the blankets-- not that Bad <em> minded</em>, it wasn’t like the demon got cold. </p><p> </p><p>Now, Skeppy slept curled into a tight ball, as close to Bad’s chair as he could manage without falling off the bed. He did not move in his sleep. His breaths were shallow, and he awoke with a gasp at the slightest sound. Once, he somehow awoke seated into the corner of his room, pressed against the wall in the tightest ball he could manage. He didn’t know how he got there. </p><p> </p><p>(There were some scratches on the wall that weren’t there before. Occasionally he would wake up and start clawing into the wall with a sharpened finger before he registered where he was.)</p><p> </p><p>Many nights, he didn’t sleep at all. </p><p> </p><p>Sometimes, instead of sleeping, he would drift. Puffy told him that drifting wasn’t healthy, and that he needed to work on grounding techniques. She called it <em> dissociation</em>. </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy didn’t really care what word was used. He just knew that it was sometimes easier to drift than to be in the present. </p><p> </p><p>Sometimes, though, it was scary. He would float off without meaning too, while he was talking to Bad or Ant or Sam or Puffy, and he wouldn’t be able to force himself back into his body. He could still <em> hear </em>them, and know that they were there, but it was so much harder to talk and focus when he was halfway disconnected from reality. </p><p> </p><p>The other members of the Badlands, as well as Puffy, soon discovered that touch helped ground Skeppy, when he was drifting. Squeezing his hand, or touching his face gently, or putting pressure on his body with extra blankets, often helped him focus. But more than once, he came back to himself and shouted at his friends for grounding him, because <em> fuck </em>it was so much easier to be detatched. </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy never apologized, but it was mutually understood that he didn’t mean it when he lashed out.</p><p> </p><p>He always felt like shit after, though. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Some days, Skeppy would wake up and his mouth wouldn’t work. </p><p> </p><p>Bad or Puffy or Ant or Sam would say something to him, and he would open his mouth, and nothing would come out. </p><p> </p><p>Those days, he would be offered a notepad, but he wouldn’t use it. He would roll over and lay in bed silently, trying to form words, until he fell asleep again.</p><p> </p><p>It was an unspoken rule not to mention it the next day. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“Skeppy, are you with me?” Ant asked softly.</p><p> </p><p>....</p><p> </p><p>“C’mon, man, please try for me. I know you can hear me, somewhere in that head of yours. Think about the grounding techniques Puffy taught you. I know you can do it.”</p><p> </p><p>….</p><p> </p><p>“Please, Skeppy, you’ve got to try.”</p><p> </p><p>….</p><p> </p><p>“Come back to us, Skeppy.”</p><p> </p><p>….</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Please,"  </em>he begged. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>It was… he didn’t know how many days it had been since he got out. It had been a <em> while</em>, that’s for sure. </p><p> </p><p>Puffy had begun doing physical therapy with him. They would do it in the water, normally near the docks. It was called “aquatic rehabilitation,” and apparently it was recommended because it helped tone muscle without overworking the body. Puffy had read about it in a book.</p><p> </p><p>He wasn’t ready to walk, yet. But he was getting closer every day. </p><p> </p><p>Because Skeppy was still bound to either his bed or the chair, Bad had begun taking him on daily walks down the Prime Path. Sometimes, Ant would join them, or even Sam if he was around. It was kind of sad to see the destroyed L’Manburg-- Skeppy hadn’t been around to see Doomsday, after all. Dream had already had him by then. But Skeppy was never partial to the ill-fated country, anyway; the Badlands would always have his loyalty. </p><p> </p><p>One day, they were taking their usual walk; it was just the two of them, as Sam had his Warden duties and Ant had a lunch date planned with Velvet. It was a beautiful day, and they were talking amicably as Bad walked beside Skeppy, who was finally strong to push himself in the chair. </p><p> </p><p>Someone else was on the path, though. He was walking in the opposite direction, and Skeppy caught sight of him before Bad, who was distracted by a bee. </p><p> </p><p>You know the flight or fight reflex? Well, there’s a lesser known third option: freeze. And Skeppy fucking <em> froze</em>. </p><p> </p><p>“Skeppy? Why’d you stop--” Bad cut himself off, following Skeppy’s gaze to the man who had also abruptly stopped walking, caught off guard by the pair.</p><p> </p><p>In an instant, Bad was in front of Skeppy, talons sharp and tail flicking dangerously behind him. His teeth were pointier than usual, and his horns had grown several inches. Skeppy, on the other hand, was still frozen, and his body had taken the liberty of crystallizing entirely in self-defense. </p><p> </p><p>“<b>Leave us alone</b>,” Bad growled, his voice an octave lower and crackling with static. </p><p> </p><p>“Skeppy,” Punz said, eyes wide in a mixture of shock and fear. He took a step forward.</p><p> </p><p>“<b>Don’t you dare. Don’t you dare come any closer to him</b>.”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m not going to <em> hurt </em>him, Bad, I’m not stupid--”</p><p> </p><p>“<b>You’ve hurt him before,</b> ” Bad snarled. “ <b>I WON’T let you do it again. You will </b> <b> <em>never </em> </b> <b>hurt him again.</b>” </p><p> </p><p>“Fucking <em> listen </em> to me, Bad, I just want to--”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>“<b>Leave.</b>”</p><p> </p><p>“Bad, I need to tell Skeppy something, just let me--”</p><p> </p><p>“<b>LEAVE.</b>”</p><p> </p><p>“I’m fucking <em> sorry</em>, okay?” Punz finally got out, making Bad pause in shock. “Look, I don’t regret much. I’m an asshole who will do basically anything for money, and we all know it. But I regret helping Dream get Skeppy. Fuck, we all saw what he did to him down there. It was fucking inhumane. And I regret it, ok?” </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy’s hand tightened on the arm of his chair. </p><p> </p><p>“<b>You….</b>” Bad began, voice dangerously low. “<b>You do not deserve to be sorry. Regret solves nothing. If you regretted what you did, you would’ve done something about it long ago. Even if you didn’t know what was down there, you knew Skeppy was suffering. And you left him to rot.</b>” He paused for a moment. “<b>And I, for one, will never forgive you.</b>”</p><p> </p><p>“Bad, I--”</p><p> </p><p>“<b>I will not ask you again, Punz. LEAVE. Or I will MAKE you leave</b>.” </p><p> </p><p>Punz heaved a sigh. “Goodbye, Skeppy,” he muttered. And with the signature <em> vwoop </em> of an ender pearl, he was gone. </p><p> </p><p>Bad whipped around, still breathing heavily, eyes a bit frantic. “Skeppy?” he questioned, voice back to normal. </p><p> </p><p>The hybrid was sitting as still as a rock, not daring to move. He glimmered in the light of day-- if someone didn’t know him, they might have mistaken him for a crystalline statue. Although he was frozen, his eyes were wide, and tears were dangerously close to spilling over. </p><p> </p><p>“Oh, Skeppy,” Bad whispered. Gently, ever-so-gently, he knelt down, and slowly took the other in his arms. And as Bad embraced him, and guided his head onto the demon’s warm shoulder, Skeppy allowed himself to cry. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>Skeppy awoke with a poorly muffled shout. </p><p> </p><p>Which meant that Bad woke too. </p><p> </p><p>“Same dream?” he asked groggily.</p><p> </p><p>Skeppy nodded silently. </p><p> </p><p>Bad stood up. “Do you want some water, or tea? I can go get you some, just say the word--” </p><p> </p><p>He was interrupted by a hand grasping for his sleeve. “Please don’t go,” Skeppy whispered. “Don’t leave me alone.” </p><p> </p><p>Bad’s eyes widened, and then he nodded almost imperceptibly, instead moving to sit down again. </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy scooted over in the bed, throwing open the covers, eyes fixing Bad with a silent plea. Bad smiled sadly, and crawled into the bed next to him. </p><p> </p><p>If they both closed their eyes, it almost seemed like things were normal again, that they were having a sleepover like they used to. </p><p> </p><p>But things were not normal. They would probably never be normal again. And even though they both knew this, Skeppy curled into Bad’s side, taking comfort in his familiar presence. He was still shaking, so Bad wrapped his arm around the shorter man, pulling him in closer.</p><p> </p><p>And for that night, they pretended like everything would be alright. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“I want to try walking,” Skeppy said firmly. “I think I’m ready. Don’t tell me I’m not, because I--” </p><p> </p><p>“I think you’re ready too,” Puffy cut him off, and Skeppy’s jaw snapped shut in shock. “Really, I do. You’ve been improving greatly with your PT and your legs have gotten much stronger. I think you could take a few steps, with crutches.” </p><p> </p><p>“Really?” he questioned softly. “I mean… really? I can walk again?”</p><p> </p><p>“You can <em> try </em>to walk again.” </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy’s face broke into a large grin. “What are we waiting for, then?” </p><p> </p><p>“You’re going to need these, at least at first,” Puffy said, stepping into the hallway and returning with two… sticks? They were long and metallic, with circular leather bands at the tops. There was a soft bend about ⅔ of the way from the bottom, where a small protruding handle emerged from each. </p><p> </p><p>“What are they?”</p><p> </p><p>“They’re called forearm crutches. They’ll transfer a lot of your weight to your upper body, which is currently in much better shape than your legs. They’ll also help you work on your posture and mobility.”</p><p> </p><p>Skeppy let out a puff of air. “You really came prepared, huh?”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you <em> have </em>been asking me to walk every day for the past couple weeks. You should’ve known this was coming eventually.”</p><p> </p><p>“Touché.” </p><p> </p><p>“Now, here’s what you do…” Puffy began, proceeding to explain the process of how to put on the crutches. Skeppy followed along, and listened attentively when she demonstrated taking steps with them. </p><p> </p><p>“Are you ready?” she asked.</p><p> </p><p>“Hell yeah I’m ready.” </p><p> </p><p>“Okay, I want you to try to stand up without my help,” instructed Puffy. </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy braced the crutches against the ground, and with a great deal of effort, managed to get up and balance shakily on his wobbling legs. </p><p> </p><p>“Good! That’s good! Now, like how I showed you, try to take a step. Go slow. I’m here if you need me to balance you.” </p><p> </p><p>Slowly, ever-so-slowly, he put forward the right crutch, taking a moment to rebalance himself. Then, he shifted his left leg forward, barely picking it up from the ground lest he fall. After his foot made contact with the floor again, he looked at Puffy in disbelief. </p><p> </p><p>“I did it!” Skeppy exclaimed. “I walked!” </p><p> </p><p>And then he promptly fell to the ground, his excitement having thrown him off-balance. He started laughing loudly, blue-tinted tears beginning to trace paths down his cheeks.  </p><p> </p><p>“You did it,” Puffy said, smiling gently. </p><p> </p><p>“I did it,” he said through his tears. “I did it. I’m going to walk again.” </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“Skeppy, you’re hurt,” Ant pleaded. “You’ve gotta drink this, man. Please.”</p><p> </p><p>“I can’t,” he sobbed. “I can’t.” </p><p> </p><p>“You’re bleeding, Skeppy. Please, it’s just regen, it won’t hurt you.” </p><p> </p><p>“I <em> can’t!"</em></p><p> </p><p>All Ant did was shift his position, switching the hand that was holding the pot. </p><p> </p><p>And Skeppy <em> screamed</em>, skin hardening and arms covering his face. </p><p> </p><p>Ant paled. “Oh God, Skeppy, I’m not going to throw it, I promise I won’t throw it, I didn’t mean to-- oh my God.”</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The first thing Skeppy ate, when Puffy cleared him to, was one of Bad’s muffins. He’d never tasted anything better. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“It’s beautiful, Tubbo,” Skeppy said, looking up to meet the teenager’s eyes. </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you! I built it myself, with the help of a few friends. I really think that Snowchester could be something special.” </p><p> </p><p>Bad smiled from where he was standing beside Skeppy’s chair. “It’s amazing.” </p><p> </p><p>“Of course it is, TUBBO built it,” Tommy scoffed, rolling his eyes. “What did you expect? Did you think it was going to be <em> ugly</em>? That’s kind of rude, guys.”</p><p> </p><p>Ranboo shushed him. “They were literally complimenting him, Tommy. Calm down.” </p><p> </p><p>“I’m glad to see you all are doing well,” Skeppy said honestly. “I know you guys have really been through it recently. You deserve something like this, something to make you happy.”</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “All you Badlands guys are the same. You two, Sam, probably Ant as well. You say you’ll choose the side that causes the most chaos, but on the inside you’re all softies.” </p><p> </p><p>“I think I speak for all of us when I say that we’re done with conflict,” Bad said. “You three probably understand that better than anyone.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, you can come stay at the Big Innit Hotel whenever you’d like,” Tommy proclaimed, puffing out his chest. “Sam Nook says it’ll be done soon.” </p><p> </p><p>“You’re welcome to stay with me, too,” Ranboo said meekly. “I’m sure it’ll be fine with Techno. I know you two are close.”</p><p> </p><p>Tubbo, although he bristled at the mention of Techno, quickly brushed it off. “Or Snowchester. You’re always welcome here!” Tubbo grabbed Bad’s arm, guiding him over to the nearest building, Skeppy following closely behind in his chair. “Look! There’s even ramps! That way you won’t have to mess with stairs before you’re back on your feet fully! And the streets are regularly salted, you won’t have to worry about snow or ice patches!”</p><p> </p><p>Skeppy’s eyes widened in shock. </p><p> </p><p>“Same thing with the hotel,” Tommy said, softer than usual. “There’s a functioning elevator and ramps on the outside. Sam Nook insisted, and I agreed, of course. It wouldn’t be much of a hotel if it wasn’t accessible to everyone, now would it?” </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you,” Skeppy whispered. He didn’t cry, he’d done enough of that lately, but his heart warmed and he looked at Bad with a soft expression in his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>“Thank you guys,” Bad agreed, putting a hand on Skeppy’s shoulder gently. “It means more than you know.” </p><p> </p><p>“The thing is, we’re teenagers, right?” Tubbo began. “We’re younger than most of the people on this server. But we’re not stupid. We know you’ve been through it too. And if you ever need help kicking Dream’s ass again, even though he’s in prison, we’ll be there.”</p><p> </p><p>“Thank you, Tubbo,” Skeppy said. “But I think you guys should focus on just being kids. You need it.” </p><p> </p><p>“Hell yeah we do!” Tommy shouted. “We’ve been through so much shit in the past few months. We deserve a break!”</p><p> </p><p>“Language,” Bad said, but he didn’t put his heart into it. </p><p> </p><p>Ranboo pulled out a worn journal. It was marred by a hastily written “<em>DO NOT READ</em>.” He began scribbling something down.</p><p> </p><p>“What is that?” Skeppy asked. </p><p> </p><p>Ranboo blinked. “Oh. It’s just my memory book. I like to keep track of who my friends are.” He shuffled awkwardly. “...We are friends, now, right?” </p><p> </p><p>“If you’d like to be,” Skeppy answered, smiling gently. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“C’mon, just a few more steps. You can do it,” Bad encouraged. “I’m waiting for you!”</p><p> </p><p>Skeppy grunted, sweat dripping down into his eyes. </p><p> </p><p>“Just a little more, Skeppy. You’re almost there,” Puffy chimed in. </p><p> </p><p>With a great deal of effort, he managed to make it the last couple of steps down the hallway, and promptly collapsed into Bad’s waiting arms.</p><p> </p><p>“I’m so proud of you, Geppy,” Bad whispered.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“So how’s Velvet doing?” Skeppy asked, slightly out of breath from exertion. He was improving daily with his crutches, but still couldn’t handle excessively long walks. </p><p> </p><p>Ant smiled. “He’s great. We have another date planned tomorrow, actually.”</p><p> </p><p>They’d walked a short distance to a nearby park bench. Bad hadn’t wanted to let Skeppy out of the house without him, but after some extensive persuading, Ant had convinced Bad to let them go together for some “guy time.” </p><p> </p><p>(“I’m a guy,” Bad had said with a frown. </p><p> </p><p>“Yeah, but Skeppy’s around you <em> all the time</em>. Let me have some time with him, for once.”)</p><p> </p><p>“So what are you guys planning on doing?” </p><p> </p><p>“We’re actually going for dinner at Tommy’s hotel,” Ant replied. “He wants some people to review the food before it officially opens. He claims it’s a five star restaurant, but I don’t think he’s had any actual critics yet.” </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy snorted out a laugh. “Sounds like him.” </p><p> </p><p>“We’re excited, no matter if it’s any good or not. Maybe you, me, Bad, and Sam can all go out sometime.” </p><p> </p><p>He smiled softly. “That sounds nice, Ant.” </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“You look like shit,” Techno said. </p><p> </p><p>“Nice to see you too, man.”</p><p> </p><p>“Seriously, dude. Have you been getting rest? Chat’s worried.” </p><p> </p><p>“You know, I didn’t ask to meet with you just so you could make fun of my eye bags,” Skeppy replied.</p><p> </p><p>Techno raised an eyebrow. “Then why <em> did </em>you ask to meet with me?” </p><p> </p><p>“I wanted to ask you something.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, get on with it. I’m a busy man, you know. People to see, governments to destroy.”</p><p> </p><p>“C’mon, man. You don’t have a minute to spare for an old friend?”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>Friend </em>is a bit of a stretch. Our relationship mostly consists of us trying to piss each other off.”</p><p> </p><p>“Well, it’s all in good fun,” Skeppy said, shrugging as best he could while leaning on his crutches for support. He’d managed to walk all the way to their meeting spot, but he’d exhausted himself, and was probably going to have to call Bad to come pick him up with the chair. </p><p> </p><p>“So what did you need to ask me?” </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy sighed. “A while ago, Dream told me that you owed him a favor.”</p><p> </p><p>Techno narrowed his eyes. “That’s true.”</p><p> </p><p>Skeppy inhaled, and in a single breath, rattled off, “Please don’t break him out of prison.”</p><p> </p><p>“<em>That’s </em>what this is about? The favor?”</p><p> </p><p>Skeppy closed his eyes, and sighed. “Listen, I know we have had a rocky history at best. But I think we’re friends. And I don’t know what the fuck I would do if Dream got out. I <em> can’t </em>go back there, Techno. I can’t do that to Bad, or to myself, again.” </p><p> </p><p>“Well, you don’t have to worry about Dream. Frankly, it would be somewhat cruel to break him out once he finally found a house. And he threatened Carl, which pissed me off. That’s why my favor to him will be refraining from hunting him down and taking his last life. Because of what he was going to do to Carl.” Techno paused, glancing at Skeppy. “Definitely no other reason. Definitely not because of <em> you</em>, that’s for sure.”</p><p> </p><p>Skeppy smirked, playfully whacking Techno with a crutch. “Just you wait till I’m off of these things, man. I’m going to troll you so hard.” </p><p> </p><p>“Not if I get you first.”</p><p> </p><p>“Is that a threat?”<br/>
<br/>
</p><p>Techno turned, beginning to walk away. “No, it’s a promise.”</p><p> </p><p>“Techno?” The piglin hybrid paused. “Thank you.” </p><p> </p><p>He grunted. “Don’t get mushy on me, now.”</p><p> </p><p>“For you? Never.”</p><p> </p><p>Techno turned around, and met Skeppy’s eyes. “I’ll see you later, Skeppy. Chat says to take care of yourself.”</p><p> </p><p>Skeppy smiled softly. “Goodbye, Technoblade.” </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>The Warden pressed the lever, and the lava slowly retreated. Skeppy’s hands were sweaty against the handles of his crutches, and he gripped them harder to stop his fingers from shaking. </p><p> </p><p>“Yell for me when you’re done,” the Warden said gruffly. </p><p><br/>
Skeppy nodded jerkily. </p><p> </p><p>Bad hadn’t wanted him to do this. Bad hadn’t wanted him to do this at all. But it was Skeppy’s decision, ultimately, and the demon had accepted that. </p><p> </p><p>The lava finished retreating, and Skeppy caught a flash of green. His breath quickened, and crystal began creeping across his face. </p><p> </p><p>The Warden didn’t reveal anything through his voice, or face, but although he wasn’t supposed to, he placed a comforting hand on Skeppy’s shoulder. Skeppy looked at him, and gave another nod, more firmly this time. </p><p> </p><p>The hand disappeared as if it had never been there. “It’s time.”</p><p> </p><p>Skeppy took a deep, shuddering breath, and stepped forward onto the platform. It began moving, and he had to hold onto the guard rail that Sam had installed in order to keep from falling off. A green-clad man was seated beyond the obsidian barrier, writing in a book, and he looked up curiously. </p><p> </p><p>An uncomfortable silence passed while the platform slowly moved across the gap of lava. Blank dot eyes bored into Skeppy’s soul, and he gripped the handles of his crutches tighter. He could see crystal creeping out of his sweatshirt sleeves, over the tips of his fingers, but he chose to ignore it. </p><p> </p><p>Eventually, though, the platform reached the other side, and Skeppy took a shaky step off onto the more sturdy obsidian floor. The platform retracted, the lava refilled the room, and the barrier separating the two men disappeared into the floor. </p><p> </p><p>They both waited there in silence, for a while. The tension was so thick it could’ve been cut with a knife. </p><p> </p><p>“You know, I was wondering when you’d show up,” the  masked man began. </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy said nothing. </p><p> </p><p>“What, you’re giving me the silent treatment again? I thought you would’ve gotten over that by now.” </p><p> </p><p>…</p><p> </p><p>“C’mon, just say something,” he said, voice airy but with a darker undertone.</p><p> </p><p>…</p><p> </p><p>“You of all people should be ecstatic that the tables have turned like this. Don’t you want to gloat? Don’t you want to scream at me?”</p><p> </p><p>“Y’know, Dream,” Skeppy finally began, voice wavering. “I think I have you figured out.”</p><p> </p><p>Dream raised an unseen eyebrow. “Is that so?” </p><p> </p><p>“Your whole deal is power, right? Power and control. And you’re not afraid to say it. You’re a self-proclaimed megalomaniac.” </p><p> </p><p>“Am I, now?”</p><p> </p><p>“You want power. You wanted power over every threat on this goddamn server. And that included Bad, so by extension that included me, right?”</p><p> </p><p>Dream inclined his head. </p><p> </p><p>“You wanted power over me. You <em> still </em>want power over me.” Skeppy took a breath, and tried to calm his shaking hands. “But I won’t let you have it.”</p><p> </p><p>The god of the server barked out a short, mocking laugh. “Isn’t the fact you even came here evidence enough that I still have control? That you never truly left my hall?”</p><p> </p><p>“No, it’s not,” Skeppy said. “Because I didn’t come here to gloat, or scream at you, or even attack you. Which is what I know you want. You <em> want </em> me to be angry, you <em> want </em>me to scream and cry and lash out, ‘cause that would mean you still have power over me. But you don’t. Because I didn’t come here to do any of those things. I came here to say one thing to you.” </p><p> </p><p>“And what would that be?”</p><p> </p><p>Skeppy carefully redistributed his weight, managing to crouch down so he was eye-level with the man who had taken so much from so many. “You want people to fear you, even now. But you know what? Tommy’s happy. Tubbo’s happy. Ranboo’s happy. Techno and Phil are happy. The Badlands are happy. And you know what that means?”</p><p> </p><p>“Do enlighten me,” Dream snarled, no longer attempting to hide his displeasure.  </p><p> </p><p>“<em>No one cares about you anymore, Dream</em>. Everyone will let go of their fear, eventually. And you know what will happen to you? You will rot here, alone, until everyone eventually forgets you ever existed. Everyone will let go over their anger.  Everyone will learn to be happy.” </p><p> </p><p>Dream looked at him in silence, blank eyes meeting Skeppy’s unflinchingly. </p><p> </p><p>“Listen to me very carefully, Dream. <em> You did not win. </em> You will have no power over anyone, eventually. You will have no power over <em> me</em>. And that is what I came here to tell you,” Skeppy said with a certain finality, carefully standing up to his full height again. “Goodbye, Dream.” </p><p> </p><p>Dream stared back unflinchingly, mask not betraying his emotion one way or another. </p><p> </p><p>But after Skeppy called for the Warden, and after the lava retreated and the obsidian barrier returned, and after the platform began its slow retreat back across the trench, Skeppy heard a scream of rage. </p><p> </p><p>And he smiled. </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>One day, when he was with Bad, Skeppy realized something. </p><p> </p><p>He was happy. </p><p> </p><p>Fuck, he was <em> happy</em>. </p><p> </p><p>Things weren’t back to normal, hell no. Skeppy could hardly walk without his crutches, and some days he would wake up and be unable to speak, and he would probably never take a regen pot again, and he couldn’t stand the sight of blackstone, and he couldn’t sleep if Bad wasn’t beside him, and sometimes he would drift or have a panic attack or wake up and forget where he was. </p><p> </p><p>Things weren’t normal. But they were better. </p><p> </p><p>And Skeppy was happy. </p><p> </p><p>He thought of Ant, and Sam, and Puffy, and Tommy, and Tubbo, and Ranboo, and Techno. And he thought of how they were all healing, in their own ways. How <em> he </em>was healing, in his own way. </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy looked at Bad, who was sitting next to him, talking animatedly about something or another. Bad, who would sleep next to him and make sure he felt safe. Bad, who was so protective it was sometimes hard to go outside the house without him. Bad, who would push him in his chair at breakneck speeds down the Prime Path, laughing hysterically. Bad, who had chosen him, a <em> mortal</em>, to be his soulmate. Bad. </p><p> </p><p>Skeppy looked at Bad, and he saw hope. </p><p> </p><p>And that was all he really needed, wasn’t it?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Skeppy to Dream in prison: "well well well, how the turntables"</p><p>Let me know if you have any other ideas for one-shots set in this AU. This series is tentatively complete, but I'm not opposed to adding more if I get struck by inspiration. </p><p>Thank you for reading!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>